ninehertz

A two track gruesome death metal combo you can devour in a touch over ten minutes, adorned with ghoulish artwork, from two promising bands and two excellent labels? Yep, I'll stop what I'm doing and go wade into its ooze, thank you very much.

First up Rotpit, my introduction to this internationally collaborative band. Golem of Rot is wonderfully oppressive, muggy death metal, taking from all eras and geographical scenes of death metal past, clearly back to the origins, references to "the British groove of Bolt Thrower and Benediction", some Swedish inflection, and perhaps something of the weirder, doomier likes of Undergang in here, its a wonderful track that rolls along trampling everything in its path. It is addictive too, I have it had on repeat since I came across it.

I knew a little of Druid Lord beforehand, a band name which suggests doom more than death, but appropriately enough, its only right this is in the territories of death-doom, the song name Fatal Fog an apt description of the supernatural cloud cast over it all. It feels old school (they are from Florida after all), slowed down and chuggy, dripping with its own rot.

An excellent two track release, out on cassette from Gurgling Gore and record from the Polish label Behind the Mountain. Novel and cool on its own, and acting as more than temptation to check out each band further.